It’s been a very busy few weeks, as I increase my stock levels in preparation for attending The Handmade Fair at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire in England. Trying to get the balance right of which bags to take in what fabric and which bag style has been challenging.  Just at the point when I was feeling a little frazzled, I looked up from my trimming of a large messenger bag to see that a thread had become stitched into the seam of the denim lining of the bag, in the shape of a perfect heart. It’s like the messenger bag was sending me a message.

So I breathed, thought calm thoughts, and got the bags made just in time. I’ve even had to book my sewing machine in for a service after its exertions at the wonderful sewing machine spa that is John O’Donnell’s Singer Sewing Centre in Waterford. Whilst I am away it can put its foot up and get its machine parts oiled, whilst I drum up more work for it in England! As a quick aside, John is a fabulous help to my business, always at the end of the phone to advise me as I push my sewing machines sometimes to the limits of what they are capable of. I’m sure my machines count the days until they go for their annual service.

So the bags are packed (I have John Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane” playing on repeat in my head, despite the fact that I’ll be leaving in a small overloaded car to catch the ferry to Holyhead, which is somewhat more humdrum), and I’m almost ready to leave. I was at The Handmade Fair in Hampton Court Palace Gardens last September, and had an amazing time.  This Spring event in Ragley Hall in Warwickshire is a new event, so it’s a first for everyone.  Like the September event there are loads of classes and sessions where you can try out new crafts or learn new techniques in crafts that you are already passionate about.  There are seriously delicious food wagons parked strategically around the site, tempting you with everything from paella to artisan coffees. And then there is the Shopping Village, where I will be at Stall 34.

The Shopping Village is an array of temptation, with huge displays of fabric and yarn stalls, all manner of craft kit suppliers, and then handpicked suppliers of genuinely handmade items, like my bags.

There are some TV personalities who are involved with the Handmade Fair too, most notably Kirstie Allsopp who is a big supporter of handmade crafts and has been central to The Handmade Fair since its inception. For viewers of The Great British Sewing Bee, the judge Patrick Grant will be there this weekend, as well as Keith Brymer-Jones, the judge from The Great British Pottery Throwdown. So a little bit of stardust is being sprinkled amongst us all.

I’ve made a load of little purses for the Handmade Fair too – they are always popular with people wanting a little extra with their bags, or as a snap purchase as they finally find the small purse they’ve been looking for.

For those of you in the UK, if you’d like free tickets to The Handmade Fair for this weekend 12-14 May, email me as soon as possible and I will send you a link by return that you can follow to get your free entry pass. It’ll be lovely to see you at my stall! At the time of writing it is wonderfully warm and sunny here in West Clare, and has been dry for almost a month now, which is quite uncanny. I don’t know if this gorgeous Spring weather will last into the weekend, but whatever the weather, I hope that you have a wonderful few days, and with luck I will see a few of you in Ragley Hall this weekend. I’ll be back at Chapel Lane Market in Ennis on Saturday 20th May, for those of you planning your holidays and realising that a light, easily packed Sallyann Bag is just the thing for your next trip!